Snips
Not orphaned. Unwanted. History "No. I ain't friendly. I reckon you wouldn't be either if'n you seen what I seen." Birth They feared the boy cursed, like his father had been, so they bundled him and deposited him in front of the local temple. That temple could see from the linens and from the state of the child he had come from a well off family. With this knowledge alone, they in turn determined the best course of action was to send the infant off to a monastery, one they had sent other unwanted children from merchants and nobles in the past. He was named Martin Scarsblatt, Scarsblatt being the name of the town near Luperion where he had been born. A name that marked him for either an orphan, or an unwanted and disowned child. Early Life His upbringing was troubled. He had a way of misfortune following him, true to his father's family. Never severe misfortune, never dire, but always just bad enough to get him in trouble. The upbringing was strict, harsh. It raised a young man capable of following orders, a young man who would do his duty, a young man who would harbor resentment towards that monastery for the rest of his days. When he was old enough to serve, he was sent off to squire. He spent years assisting knights before finally being of age to become one, but the knight he had squired under did not care for him either. He was denied the honor, and sent to serve with the rank and file soldiers. As was his duty. Military Career It was by chance that he was put into a regiment that worked with black powder weapons serving under an ambitious would-be Packlord. It was with purpose he was made to be the powder monkey, widely considered the most dangerous of the jobs outside of battle. Despite the misfortune that followed him - or perhaps because of it - he proved to be meticulous. His habit of trimming fuses and cutting line to be sure there were no accidents earned him the nickname Snips. It was by skill and stubbornness he outlived others in that regiment. He was eventually promoted, not because of merit, but because he was a survivor in what was quickly being considered an unlucky regiment. Through battle after battle, Snips managed to come through alive and relatively unscathed while others failed. In time he came to see the misfortune for what it was, bad leadership. As he heard more and more of what went into directing the troops, understood better and better what they were being sent into, he saw that they were expendable. It was no failure of the men working with him, but the ones who needed cheap, disposable soldiers. They would be sent out to die again, and again, and again. Eventually it was too much. Seeing an opportunity to defect Snips took it. When news that he survived reached his old commanders, they were furious. All of the myriad failures of the regiment were lumped on Snips' head, along with accusations of being a traitor all along. Snips is sure they'll get their own misfortune some day. One way or another. Present Life It has been years now since Snips defected. His long coat and hat are the only surviving pieces of his kit from back then, and the marred sigil on his back has been dirtied so many times some don't even recognize it for what it was. His name faded from recent memory. Now, he is ready to remind them. Appearance This man looks the part of a soldier working day in and day out with the most dangerous weapons known to man, black powder firearms. His skin is perpetually dirty, smears of grease and soot on his hands and face helping to offset his natural paleness. His hair is thick, black, and oily as the rest of him. From the wavy hair falling limp like seaweed from under his hat, to the big eyebrows that look more like smears, to the stubble that won't grow into a proper beard. It all makes his sharp bright green eyes contrast more visibly, eyes like those of a bird watching their prey. The way the eyes shine is uncanny, leaving no doubt he has magical power Eyes. His style of clothes originated in Luperion, adjusted to help him survive life as a wanderer. The wide-brimmed hat isn't a typical style, but helps keep the sun from his eyes and was popular in the military unit where he once served. The long coat he wears has been oiled to protect against the water and salt of his day to day, while the tunic and breeches beneath are the lighter and easier breathing garments more typical of those who work on ships or near water. Mixed in with this are powder horns and a bandolier and his ever-trusty musket, Betsy. The part that stands out the most, however is the sigil of the Kingdom of Amaria across his long coat's back. It has been intentionally marred, a large X across it. Leaving no doubt of where Snips comes from, or that they're now his enemy. Personality Snips is a man who doesn't believe in higher powers being altruistic. He believes everyone and everything with power got it somehow, and you generally don't want to know how. He worships no god, drawing his gifts from his inner self. He encourages people to take responsibility for their own lives. After all, who knows what agenda the gods have when they share power with mortals. In a way that gives him his strength, because the responsibility - and the consequences - of all his actions rest firmly on his own head. He tends not to talk much in the day to day if he can get away with it. The going joke for those that don't know him well is that his Musket (Betsy) talks more than he does. When in a life or death situation, he tends to open up and be more chatty. Once someone has him chatty, he isn't shy about his beliefs - or lack thereof. Allies None (yet) Enemies Kingdom of Amaria (Military Deserter) Aspirations See vengeance done against those who wronged him. Clear his name, maybe, if it is convenient. Chase off the boredom that has been driving him mad and finally overtaken his sense of self-preservation. Category:Player Characters